List of maps; List of abbreviations; Introduction; A note on sources; 1. An orator's education (106-80); 2. Orator 2.0 (79-71); 3. The 'reluctant' prosecutor (70); 4. A 'new man' rising (6--64); 5. Piloting the ship of state on an optimate course (January-August 63); 6. Crisis management (September-December 63); 7.

The aftermath of the 'annus mirabilis' (62); 8. Seeking shelter in the past as storm clouds gather (61-59); 9. To the abyss and back (58 to early September 57); 10. Resurgence and deflation (September 29, 57 to the end of April 56); 11. Strategies for coping (May 56 to the end of 54); 12. Political realities, theoretical constructs (the end of 54 to mid-51); 13. Away from Rome (mid-51-47); 14. Reclaiming a voice (46); 15.

Devastation and recovery (January to mid-45); 16. From theory to practice (mid-45 through March 44); 17. A new struggle looms (April-December 44); 18. The final struggle (43); 19. Conclusion: an intellectual between tradition and power; Appendices; List of works cited; Index of Greek words; Index of Latin words; Index of passages discussed; Subject index; Index of proper names.